NAVAL ACADEMY, United States, the most important naval school in America, es tablished at Annapolis, Md., in 1845, by a special act of the Congress. The origin of this tech nical educational institution was due primarily to the efforts of George Bancroft, Secretary of the Navy. The academy was opened 10 Oct. 1845, with Commander Franklin Buchanan as superintendent. For a time during the Civil War the school was removed from Annapolis to Newport, R. I. The Bureau of Navigation of the Navy Department has direct supervision of the academy.
Admission of are received at the academy three midshipmen for each senator, member or delegate of the United States House of Representatives, two for the District of Columbia and 15 at large. The appointment of midshipmen at large and for the District of Columbia is made by the Presi dent. In addition to the above the law author izes the appointment of 25 enlisted men each year to be selected as a result of a competitive examination of enlisted men of the navy and marine corps who have been in the service at least one year and who are under 20 years of age by 15 August of the year it is desired to enter. The mental and physical requirements for these candidates are the same as for other candidates •for midshipmen. One midshipman is also allowed from Porto Rico, who must be a native of that island. The appointment is made by the President on the recommendation of the governor of Porto Rico. The Secretary of the navy, as soon after 1 June in each year as possible, must notify in writing each senate tor, representative and delegate in Congress of ahy vacancy that may exist in his district. The nomination of a candidate to fill the vacancy is Insult on the tecommendation of the member or ,delegate , by the secretary Candidates must be actual residents of the districts front which they are nominated. They enter the academy immediately after passing the prescribed ex aminations and are required to sign articles binding themselves to serve in the United States navy eight years (including the time of pro bation at the Naval Academy), tiniest sooner discharged. All candidates are required to be cititens of the United States and must at the time of their examination for admission be be tween the ages of 16 and 20 years. A candi date is eligible for examination on the day he beconnes 16 and is ineligible oti the day he be comes 20 earsof age. The pay of a midship man is a year, beginning at the date of admission. The course for midshipmen is four years, Examinations on the ground covered are held at the end of each academic term. During the summer midshipmen of the first, second and third classes go to sea for about three Months. Midshipmen after graduation
are commissioned as ensigns in the navy and to fill vacancies in the marine corps and in certain of the staff corps of the navy.
The Course of When a midship man graduates he must be a seaman, an engi neer, a true marine engineer, well acquainted with steam, electricity and ordnance, and a navigator and surveyor and he must have a fair knowledge of his own language with some acquaintance with French and Spanish. To achieve this in four years he must be well grounded in the rudiments; he must have good health and he must work hard. The course niust be progressive and the instructors com petent and in sufficient numbers to be able to instruct— not merely to examine and hear lessons. Even then the work of studying would be too hird for the average youth were it not for the fact that much of the practical work is good out-of.door exercise and the hard brain work ts. well-balanced with plenty of physical exercise and healthy atutasehIett. The instruc tion for the fourth class, that is for the first year, completes the study of algebra and inclndes trigonometry and descriptive geometry. In English it includes rhetoric and somethieg of the art of • writing English and also public speaking. French and Spanish and mechanical drawing are begun. It is a necessity for a naval offices to be able to read a drawing and to make a good working sketch. The naval architect, the marine engineer and the ordnance engineer has each his special methods in drawing with which the midihipman must become familiar. Accordingly he starts drawing with the begin ning of his course. All his professional work during this year is practical and is given him during the drill period. The academic year opens on 1 October and closes about 1 June; then comes the practice cruise, which. is almost entirely to practice professional work With some little study of the theory of pro fessional subjects. The cruise ends about 1 September when the midshipmen have a month's leave to visit their hoines. Academic life be gins again on 1 October. During the third class year the midshiptinin•complete their study of 'geometry and also the ert= ception' of a Wench cif ipplietrinathe matic,s, Which is studied during the' first term of the succeeding year. •Ther have trigonome try, analytic geometry, conk sections differ ential and integral calculus. Entibh they study . naval history and constitutional They etintinue the study of ,French land Span ish arid .mechanical drawing and sake up the study of dlemetary physics and chemistry. Their practical work is continued during the drill period and on the practice cruise at the end of the acrideinic year.